The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-06-03

When the contents of drcdge arc
hauled up from the deep sea at midday
the curious shapes and colors alone
attract attention, but il they are ex-
amined at night they develope a new
feature, cleaning with q wondrous
light that is little understood. The
star fishes brought up at certain
places are all seemingly heated to
white heat, the CLEANS running up and
down the arms, making the animal
marvel of beauty. Especially among
the stars known as orphinrans is the
light most brilliant and interesting.
Even the very young ones sparkle like
gems. A dredge has been taken from
great depth fairly oyerfowing with
these dazzling creatures, telling q
wonderful story of the condition Of
things below the surface. These
are the lights of the bottom, and in
shoaler water we shall find anemones
and corals emitting wonderful light.
Perhaps the most striking light given
Is a polyps, growing upon Il stem three
or four feet in length, resembling a tall
candlestick. The name of this creature
is the umbellularia,, and it was first
found in deep water off the coast of
Greenland, the trawl bringing up such
large numbers that it was evident the
ship had passed over yeritable forest
of them. Imagine cornfield mile
or.so below the surface, the stalks four
feet long, and the ears emitting golden
greenish light of wonderful softness;
think of this as spread over acres of
surface to an indefinite extent, the
lights waving here and there in gentle
undulations; imagine fishes darling
through them with cleaning head
lights, others outlined in fire, while far
above are great globes of light, with
soft aureolas, and some idea of this
world beneath us can be formed. The
sea-pens, to which the curious
form is allied, are nearly all wonder
fully luminous.
Some resemble short pens; others, as
virgularia, and long and slender;
while others, again look like plumes.
One of the latter, known to science as
veretillum, has been used for a lamp,
several beng confined in glass,
afforded light enough to read by ut n
distance of twelve inches. The sea-
pens afford interesting objects to ex-
pertinent with. They are fringed with
polyps, and when one of the arms is
pinched the light appears, gradually
spreading to the other parts in regular
succession, and few seconds sufficing
for the illumination of the entire ami
NAL. On the Patagonian coast, some
years ago, there was an extremely low
tide, exposing shoal covered with a
variety of sea-pens, and at night when
they all cleaned with phosphorescence
the sight is described as resembling
the lights Of an immense army that
was slowly swallowed up as the
tide came in.
The jellyfishes, or meduse, ARE among
the most remarkable of light givers,
and, with few exceptions, they are
luminous, some being more so than
others, and much of the phosphores-
cence of the Pacific, as seen from the
decks of vessels, Is due to these
creatures-that are so beautifully
formed and so delicate color, yet in
reality are IS per cent. water; in all
jellyfishes 5 per cent will represent
solid part. In some, as pelagia, the
entire animal is luminous, its shape be-
ing outlined in foil, as it were; while in
others only certain portions are light
emitting. Not only are these creatures
phosphorescent, but the colors are
different; some emit golden light; in
others it is green or azure. and some
seem to combine several tints Again
certain ones are luminous all the
time; others show their light in fitful
way or when these radiant creatures
are hurled against the rocks and
ground up, their lights seem to COM
bine in turning the entire ocean into a
seething caldron.-San Francisco